avatarAnne Bonfert

Summary

Anne Bonfert reflects on a week of transition from vacation back to routine, capturing the essence of her daily life through a photo-a-day challenge amidst the changing seasons and the comforting presence of nature.

Abstract

In the eleventh week of her photographic documentary, Anne Bonfert shares her experiences of returning to her garden work and peaceful hammock reading spot after a vacation in the Alps. She expresses her love for mountains and the creative energy they provide, while also enjoying the magic of her immediate environment, such as the sparkling dew on grass and the colorful flowers that bring life to her garden. The essay includes personal reflections on thoughtful gifts, the joy of rainbows, and the excitement of witnessing fungi growth after a dry summer. Bonfert invites readers to join the photo-a-day challenge, which has been a source of community and shared experiences since its inception in 2020.

Opinions

  • Bonfert values the energy, creativity, and happiness that mountains bring to her life.
  • She appreciates thoughtful presents, particularly a bottle of South African white wine received from a student.
  • The author finds peace and productivity in her hammock, which serves as a working space for writing and reading.
  • Bonfert is excited about the signs of life, such as fungi growth, after a dry summer, indicating the revitalizing effect of recent rains.
  • She cherishes the routine and comfort of her home, a trailer she has personalized with a handmade entrance and storage area.
  • The photo essay series is presented as an inclusive activity, encouraging participation from anyone interested in sharing their weekly experiences through photography.
Credit: Anne Bonfert

PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Back to Routine

Week 110 of the photographic documentary of my daily life

I’m lying here in my hammock wrapped up in a blanket. Fall has surely arrived. While it’s still warm in the sun, the temperatures drop quickly when you’re in the shade. And we all know what cooling effect a forest can have. Which is where I am.

It’s Monday and we did some work in the garden. We replaced the tarp we put over the entrance of our trailer. It had experienced some rough weather this season and it was now full of holes halfway tearing apart.

I decided that was enough work for our off day and then grabbed my tablet and my hammock. At the edge of the forest, I created my peaceful working space.

I call it a working space because it’s where I am writing and reading right now. After 8 days of vacation of which 6 of them were out of cellphone reception, I have some catch-up to do. My reading list is back up to 100 stories and it will take some time to get it back to zero.

But right here, in the forest, I can stay for a few hours reading. Because I feel at peace.

Let’s start this week’s photo essay with the last day of our vacation. On Thursday we flew back from Innsbruck to Berlin with a short layover in Vienna. It was raining when we walked across the airfield in Innsbruck. It made our departure from the Alps just a little more melancholic.

I love mountains.

If I should settle down sometime somewhere in the world, it won’t be in the flat lands. I need some mountains around me, that is for sure.

This trip just showed me again how much they give me. In energy, creativity, and happiness.

© Bonfert — 08/09/2022 — WET

Friday morning I woke up to sunshine and moisture in the air. The grass was covered in rain drops and I quickly pulled out the camera to capture the magic of the moment.

A few hours later I was back at work.

© Bonfert — 09/09/2022 — SPARKLY

Saturday was a magical day. Yes, we were at work as always on weekends but the clouds were moving in and out all day long. And just before we finished the day we had this spectacular jump through the clouds, a circular rainbow, and downpours on the horizon.

© Bonfert — 10/09/2022 — REFLECTING

I wanted to take a picture of this present we got from one of our students but when we were drinking the wine, it was finished before I could take out the camera. So I took the image now, before disposing the bottle.

It’s a bottle of South African wine.

I like it when people give thoughtful presents. Yes, we do love a good bottle of South African white wine.

© Bonfert — 11/09/2022 — MEMORIES

And here we are. Monday. I’m in the hammock. Writing and reading. While listening to the birds singing in the tree tops above my head.

© Bonfert — 12/09/2022 — COMFORTING

I bought these lovely flowers yesterday. I wanted some more color in my garden. There are still some wildflowers blooming but not for long. When I saw these yellow shining beauties in the store I had to get them.

And today, they are already taken all in. Covered in droplets they are now part of the natural environment around our trailer.

© Bonfert — 13/09/2022 — DROPLETS

Did I mention yet what a dry summer we had? Well, guess what? I’m super excited to see all these fungi growing all around us. There are lots of different species popping up all around the airfield.

Yes, it’s a sign it has been raining in the last few weeks. And it has. A lot.

I love it.

But you can see, behind those mushrooms and some freshly grown blades of grass, there’s lots of dry and dead grass. It’s gone. Forever.

© Bonfert — 13/09/2022 — GROWING

Oh, and while I called this piece “back to routine”, I should probably include a picture of our home. A trailer we’re renting on-site.

The outside of it we pretty much created ourselves. We stuck two wooden poles in the ground and pulled a tarp over from the roof of the trailer. To have a dry entrance to our home and to have some space for our barbeque and some other stuff we store outside.

© Bonfert — 14/09/2022 — HOME

This has been my week in photographs. 7 days. 7 photographs. Anyone can join. Once. Or weekly. It doesn’t matter. We welcome everyone! Dennett started this photography challenge in 2020 and many have participated ever since.

Erika / Eileen / K. Barrett / Juan / David / Mia / Susan / LensAfield / Kim / Barbara / Diana / Barb / Sandra / Shruthi / Ellie / Pene / Olive / Gustavo / Jane / Penny / Jillian / Shell / Ivy

And these are the previous weekly photo essays:

Join my email list here if you would like to read more photo essays or sign up for the Medium membership to receive unlimited access to my and other writers’ stories out here (I will receive a commission fee in return).

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